Teaching Basketball skills leads to a new Investigator

Well this week has been full of running around dead tired and not
sleep at home for half the week!! But that's the life of being busy
and help people out. We also don't have a car anymore because of the
accident last week so are in the middle of getting my license which is
taking some time but hey it will come eventually! It's good because
it's keep us fit and busy and tired.

Well we found a new investigator finally this week and he is super
awesome!! The Lord is mindful of our talents and skills because Elder Robinett and
I love playing basketball to death!! We had this member
call us and say, "Do you know anyone that can play basketball?" I
about laughed and told him about Elder Robinett and I. He said "
 I have this friend and we want to get ready for a basketball game we are
playing against some friends." and then he said " Afterwards you can share a
short spiritual thought and the first lesson." So we met them at the gym and
taught them how to shoot and dribble and then shared our message and although we weren't
super prepared his friend was interested and took a Book of Mormon and said he
would think about it! Then two days later we met again and played and
they got super good and are awesome now at playing basketball. Well after the
practice we sat down again we had heard that the member said that his
friend was worried about not having time to meet so we went in and
shared the message with them him about the plan of salvation and I was
about to share with him the baptismal commitment but then I just
decided to commit him to continue meeting with us. He said that he
would continue but he said he felt bad his wife was at home and
couldn't hear this too!! Then the member offered to have us over for
dinner and we could come over and his wife could cook us Mexican
food!!! Hahaha it was an amazing miracle because we have been waiting
for a miracle and the Lord sent it to us!!

Well the zone is doing great and the time is flying by! It's so cool
how we are seeing things changes and being apart of the Frankfurt
family! I have tried every time just to share love with all the people
in the zone. It has been awesome! It's weird how we haven't really
numbers wise seen a ton of success but we have been working on talking
with everyone! It is truly the way that we find the true joy and
success in this work! The importance of the atonement and the joy of
missionary work come after we do all we can if we want to find joy you
have to give it all! That's how the atonement fills the whole we
can't!!

Love ya
Elder White

Part of the Frankfurt zone at the Frankfurt Temple

More of the Franfurt Zone at the Temple

Riding the train with Elder Van Ballegooie

Elder White with Dean's Cousin Henry Miller, who was on a lay over in Frankfurt Germany and happen to attend the same ward that Elder White is serving in.

Street Display..New Ward..

Well it has been a crazy and sometimes stressful past couple days. From scraping the side of the van (not me), to things falling out and disappointments. It has also when quite the learning experiences! I have been able to go on a ton of splits and learn from a ton of elders! That has been super fun, although splits are hard because its like sleepover after sleepover in random apartment after apartment. But that is okay! I have met some amazing elders!

The ward is still overwhelming!! It was crazy on Sunday we probably had about 100 people, I was still just so confused on who talk to and who i should get to know! It weird because its like the size of the normal ward back home. Here in Germany its just different...honestly have grown to love small branches of 40 people because it is easier for it to turn into a family. But this ward it amazing and they are very self sustaining. In most smaller wards it is sometimes the missionaries that get all of the responsibility and really sometimes turning into running the ward. But this ward has really everything under control! Which is  nice because then you don't have to worry about the ward as much and can just focus on members and finding. It has been weird and sometimes hard because we have the assistants, us the zone leaders, the sister training leaders, and the university elders. So you have all of these rock-star elders and sisters who are on their game! It is crazy! But fun at times! 

Well this week we did a street display in Frankfurt which we were there for only an hour and then left for a service project. We were dying that day because it was so hot and then we show up to the house and we ended up getting everything loaded (in our proselytizing clothes) then we had to ride to the new apartment but there was enough room in the truck we we rode in the back were it was easily 110 degrees!! It was funny. There was just 3 of us and by the time we made it to the apartment we looked like we had taking a shower in our clothes. Fun German service projects!!

I went on a split in Langen with Elder Rowe and that was super fun!! I got a chance to see his area and get to know how he likes to do missionary work! It was fun to because I got to go and meet with a member from Offenbach who they meet with who I use to meet with! that was really cool to see Bruder Lubowsky again!

Then we had a split with Elder Walker and he has been in Germany for 11 days! He is fresh off the plane but he is a great elder with a great story! We went contacting most of the day and handed out a Book of Mormon and then later handed out another one! It was cool how the lord leads us to those that were prepared to hear the word! 

Later in the week we were at a street display in Darmstadt and it was funny because it was game day in Darmstadt. We got the attention of a really obnixious drunk guy! I have gotten really good at talking to drunk people and getting them to leave! But there were these teenagers that come up to the street display and they started asking a ton of questions about what we believe and why were here! We started talking alot about the plan of salvation and they had a ton of hard questions but I answered them all for them! Then we got to the end and explained about the Book of Mormon and I said hey so our whole religion hangs on this Book of Mormon. I said if it is true then we have found the truth and if not we are crazy! hahahah they loved it and ended up taking the book!! 

That is my message for this week! the gospel hangs in the balance on this book!! If it is true we have found the fulfilled gospel of Jesus Christ The lord doesn't leave room for comfort and complacence!! either we are in or we are out, no room for fence sitting!! Because it is true!!

Love yall!

Elder White

!

Saying Goodbye - Crazy four hour train ride - Settling into Frankfurt

Well it was sad saying goodbye to everyone in the Gemeinde in Hamm. It was really cool though the morning that I was leaving we were riding to Bahnhof and I looked around me and up at the sky and just got this feeling that I had fulfilled the Lords purpose in Hamm. It was great and I was so happy. I got to say goodbye to the the G. and the D. C. family. Then right before I left our awesome Gemeinde Mission Leader gave me a ride to the train station and then gave me a hug and told me I was always welcome in his house! That was super cool for me to hear and then randomly we saw Bruder W. one of the other men that i really looked up too!! It was pretty cool!! Great way to leave Hamm!!

Well the train ride took 4 hours and I was the travel leader and we had 12 people with close to 36 bags we were carrying between trains. It took us an hour to get everything situated for the first train and then it was late and we had 4 minutes to get 36 bags from one train to the other. It was insane I was just throwing bags off the train and running with these huge suitcases! It had to have looked so funny!! But anyways we all made it, but unfortunately one sister lost her bag on the way she probably wont ever get it back. :(

Well I met Elder Robinett, my new companion that I know from the MTC and immediately we started doing stuff we pretty much spent the whole day just running people around and taking all the leaving missionaries to the hotel it was weird and crazy! Then the next day we had to do more random stuff!! It has been a crazy and new. 

Well our area has really no investigators...which is a little weird but honestly the whole mission is struggling right now with the work. But I'm really excited because we have set a goal for 16 baptisms in the next 2 transfers! And we set a goal this week to find two new investigators!! It going to be super fun!! As much as it is frustrating because we are suppose to be an example the whole zone we are literally just doing the Lord's work. Elder Robinett and I were talking about it yesterday and he said something that really stuck out to me he said "You know if the Lord really wanted too he would let everyone here in Germany baptize every week, but that is not his plan he has a different plan. Even though baptisms each week would be ideal for us!" It so true the only thing we can do it plead with the Lord in prayer and then go out and work!! 

Well I'm excited what is ahead of us!! Things here in the Frankfurt zone are going to blow up. And me and Elder Robinett just need to lead way!! 

Cool story, second day I was here I really wanted to find someone. We prayed before we left the apartment, and I asked the Lord to lead us to someone that we ready to here the gospel. We walked outside to the train and I started talking to this guy and he a took a Book of Mormon! He didn't give us his phone number, but the lord fulfilled our prayer!! 

Miracles really do happen!! Love you all and pray for you daily!! 

Love Elder White  

Hamm Mission Leader

Made it to Frankfurt!!

Transfer to Frankurt Zone

Well it has been a crazy week of changes.

Well I got transferred to city of Frankfurt! I am called to be a Zone Leader. crazy stuff!!!

So that means that on Wednesday I'm going the 4 hour journey back to the home base!!! I'm excited though because my new companion is one of my friends from the MTC! His name is Elder Robinett.

SO yeah that is super exciting and also crazy, it seems like it all just happened so fast, sometimes I don't know if I'm up for it, but then I remember that the Lord qualifies those who he calls so I have faith that he will help me in this new area and position. And really in the end that all I need!!

Unfortunately that means that I'm going to be missing the baptism of Birgitt, but that's okay. She and her husband are pretty bummed, not going to lie,  but they really want me to be there for when she goes and does baptisms in August at the Frankfurt temple. I think I'm going ask my Mission President for special permission. Because not only is she going to be there to do baptisms, but then also a Family I have grown really close with, is getting sealed and they really want me to be there too! 

I wish I could be there for the baptism on Saturday, but honestly,  Birgitt is an amazing woman and it was with her through her conversion process and that brings me comfort is that fact that she is getting baptized its all about the conversion.!!! 

I have mixed emotions leaving Hamm. For one thing the ward is awesome and I have grown to love them! Two, The Glöckners are here and the Diekmanns. But on the other hand I'm going to Frankfurt to a district with all my friends and to a amazing ward and going to one of the coolest cities in the mission! Its a toss up...

Fast and Testimony Meeting was yesterday. I had been fasting all day simply for answers. That day I had to teach Elders quorum and then the gospel principles class,and it gave me a chance to share my testimony. Then during fast and testimony meeting I got up and announced that I was leaving and giving my testimony for the last time in the ward. I told them my love for them and how I will miss them. Afterwards, Bruder Wulff got up and shared his testimony, he looked me right in the eyes from the pupit and said "I have had the chance to teach with Elder White and he is a good missionary". It was so cool but it was really hard to have to hug him and say goodbye. Then later Birgitt got up and looked over and told us thank for being patient with her and never giving up. She said how excited she was and how happy she was that she is being baptized. That was cool!! At the end everyone told me thank you for my work.

 Later that day, we haven't seen Emil in a while and were kind of scared that he is falling off the map. So we decided to go by and figure what was up. We did and we found him at his apartment. He came out and told how his mom thinks that we are a cult and that she wont even let him leave the apartment. She got scared after we gave him a priesthood blessing and that he said "I KNOW ITS TRUE!" Right now we just have to be patient because he mother is mental sick and that's why they are here in Germany. He said he knows beyond a shadow a doubt it is true and he knows God will give him a way to be baptized! Simply he is converted and Baptized in his heart. Wish we all could have such faith like him, even with opposition staring him in the face he continues to say "my God will protect me". Great way to say goodbye to him. 

Well my foot has started hurting again. I kind of rolled it and three days later I woke up and just couldn't walk on it. You don't need to worry. I waited till the end of church and had the bishop give me a blessing. He said honestly exactly what I needed to hear and not what I wanted to hear, funny that's how the Lord works. He said that my foot would take time and that the Lord needs me to take care of myself, he said its okay to not be 100% working all the time, that their is nothing wrong with pauses. The Lord understands. As much as a hate admitting it, the Lord is exactly right!!!

Well I'm excited for the new adventures that await me in Frankfurt. I know things can be up and down, but the Lord is always there for us. 

Here is a cool quote a read this morning that gave me goose bumps

"You write down in your little black book that in the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help and you have it on both sides of the veil and you must never forgot that one thing. When disappointment and discouragement strike, and they will, you remember and never forget that if your eyes could be opened you would see horses and chariots of fire. As far as the eye can see, riding at reckless speeds to come to your protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven in defense of Abrahams seed." 

Jeffery R Holland

No words..simply the veil is thin

Love 

Elder White

B. Baptismal Date - Listening and Acting on the Spirit

Hey!!! 

Craziness this week!! 

B. set a baptismal date finally!!! She is going to be baptized in August 8th so two weeks from now!! That was crazy!! It was cool because I was in the middle of the lesson and it got pretty off track and then I didn't feel good about talking about the other Things we had planned and so then I got the courage to go through the baptismal interview questions! It was a little scary but we did and she said "I knew you were going to do that" and then asked if she was ready and she said she had finally received the date!!! It was so cool! We were so happy for her!! Tomorrow we are going to be doing the baptismal interview questions for real!! 

Well that was awesome!! Another cool experience was that we had lost contact with R. for about a week and we were getting worried and then during our weekly planning session we prayed that we could get back in contact with her and then we tried calling and she picked up!! Then afterwards we went out for an appointment.  We went another direction and ran into Rosie!! It was cool but we can't meet with week because she has school testing for her ausbildungz!! But still cool!! 

That same day we were also doing some finding in a place that we had determined the day before. Then as we were finding I had the idea to go by a family and just say hello. So we went by and she opened the door and said ELDER!!! We thought they might be busy. But she let us in! And then she said "the lord truly blesses us!!" Today is my birthday and we are preparing for the party and we are super behind can you help out!?  She was just blow away that we had shown up at the right place and right time!! Cool way how we blessed the members and followed the promptings of the spirit. Cool stuff!! 

That were some of the highlights from the week!!! Well we crashed again on the bikes but the great part of the thing was that we didn't die!!! I ran into a car after hitting a trash can! And we had a horrible storm with 100km winds and we were riding between a house and Elder Butler got hit hard and ran into a parked car. Not to worry his bike was okay!! 😏 But yeah and the miracles was that it was going to cost 250 to fix my bike but we took it too our old store in Ahlen and they said it would only cost 60!!! That was cool!! 

Miracles happening everyday!! 

I read an article this morning that really hit me. It Talks about patience. And how that we don't just wake up one morning and say" I'm patient" but it is something that we work on our whole lives and never stop working. It's learning to work through difficulty with courage and trust in the lord. A quote I really liked from the article was "but I realized that when it comes to serving the Lord, He cares just as much about the instrument as He does the task at hand." 

The work moves on!! The gospel is true!! 

Love ya 

Elder White

Proud to be a Texan!!

A member of his ward gave he and his companion steaks for dinner

The Dinner he and Elder Butler made with the steaks

Trust in the Lord's Time frame for Conversion

Well it has been a great week of miracles and struggles that is for sure!!!

It has been some really weird weather lately, because it will rain and then be super sunny. But luckily it has not been too hot lately! 

Well this week I had the chance to have an interview with President Stoddard. He interviews the entire mission every 2 transfers. He attended our zone training, it is always such a thrill to get to sit down with him for a few minutes and talk about the work. He is amazing, he really does love each missionary individually and really expresses that love. He really is there for us and you just feel all good walking out his interviews.

So our baptismal date with E. is kind of is on hold...because we talked with him on Tuesday and wanted to see if we could move his baptismal date up. Just because I kept feeling like we needed too and when we brought it up, he told us that he doesn't know when he wants to get baptized. That same day he was also in the hospital with the random big bug bite. We gave him a blessing and he actually got healed the next day, blessings of the priesthood power. But yes he has gotten cold feet, just because he is stressed out. After the meeting I wondered if we had done something wrong.  Elder Butler and I got back to the apartment and talked about it, we decided to say a prayer and ask the Lord what he wanted us to do. We got a huge spiritual confirmation that all is well. And then I remembered what Jeffery R Holland said, "SALVATION IS NOT A CHEAP EXPERIENCE". I realized that we needed to push Emil because he needs to struggle to ask God and have a rock hard testimony that the gospel is true. If we just baptized him and then he has to go home, where would his conversion be, because back home their isn't much of a support system. He needs to be converted not just baptized. Well we actually met with him the day after to help translate somethings, we talked about it again and still he was just saying how he doesn't know. I started getting those feelings again. That evening I decided I just need to turn to prayer and not give up. I have never pleaded with the Lord more about something in my entire life. The next day I woke up and realized that we as a companionship needed to fast for E. also B. (the woman who had her baby blessed). It was a super hot day on Saturday and we did a street display and had to ride our bikes a ton. By the end of the day we were toast, but we closed our fast and prepared for Sunday. We showed up to church and Emil showed up also. We had sacrament meeting and then went to meet with him but he said he was going to go out of town for 2 days and had to leave. My heart was broke, I thought for sure today we could clear everything up and make it better, this is what we were fasting for! Then I told him "Brother, we need to talk". We usually met by upstairs in the building where it was quiet. But for some reason we went into the genealogy room where all the microfilm readers. We said down and then I realized it was also the baptismal room. We started talk about baptism again and he just said how he is waiting for his answer on when he needed to be baptized.  I looked him in the eye and just told him about our worry and all we had been going through in his behalf and how we had fasted for him. I then said, E. "We knew each other before this life, we both knew that I would be called to Germany and that I would find you and baptize you." He knew exactly what I was talking about and then I bore testimony of the love his Heavenly Father has for him and he grabbed my hand and said "I know, Thank you." He then he went on to tell us that he knew when I told him we needed to talk that we were going to the baptismal room and not upstairs and then he said "I can smell baptism, its right around the corner". He said that he prays for it every night and says that he will be baptized and that the Lord is getting ready to tell him when. 

Crazy story but awesome! he is so prepared for the gospel it is unreal! He really wants to be prepared for this covenant that he is making!! I trust him fully that he is praying to know the day for baptism. I still plead with the Heavenly Father every night to show Emil what he needs. 

Well we also met with B. this week. Interesting lesson to say the least, we finished talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ and then I just got courage to talk with her about baptism again. We brought it up and she told me pretty much she is just waiting for the date and she is still praying every night for a baptismal date. She just needs the courage to take it to the next step. Kind of Frustrating this week, but its okay. everybody is moving in the right direction!!

R. is doing well also! Tonight we are teaching her at the W family house and hopefully will set a baptismal date with her! She finally on Sunday came to church!! She got up to come to church but he car wouldn't start so she rode her bike!!! She is so cool and lately we have been seeing her everywhere!! So coool!!

Well miracles are happening here in Hamm!! The Lords field is white and ready to harvest we just need to work and have courage. I truly have to say that this week had taught me a lot about patience and realizing that we can't do it on our own. I realized that with E. I thought that I could solve all the problems bear and invite the spirit and it would be easy. But through the trials I realized that we need to put our trust in God and that is where we find true hope. If we are struggling with something and the future looks bleak, remember that it because we need to hand over the steering wheel and just ride. Trust that our Heavenly Father has our best interest in mind! He always will and always has! 

Quote from the week  "We dont need to be perfect, we need to be perfect at trying"

Love,

Elder White 

Playing in at a Children's Playground!!

Brother and Sister Jones inspecting Elder White's apartment.  Scrubbing the floor so it is spic and span.

Hamm District carrying balloons to their street display

HOT HOT HOT - the work is progressing

Well if you thought that I was missing out on a hot Texas Summer well think again!! It was 104 for two days in a row and actually come to find out Germany doesn't believe in AC. So think back to that time when the AC went out at our house. Now just pretend that is through the entire house and all the time and you never can get away from it! That is Germany apartments. Everyone doesn't sleep well here and they actually only had an hour of church this last week because of the heat! Craziness they only way to get rid of the heat is a cold shower before bed that only helps a little. But hey that's life. at least I'm not in the jungle! 

Well it has been fun this week! Went on two splitzs one with Elder Fitzgerald from Dortmund and one with Elder Ball. We had a great time getting to hand out two Books of Mormon and talked to some awesome people. Then that evening at the Munster apartment (Where Elder Ball is serving was so hot) we slept on the balcony overlooking the city it was so much fun.It was like a little camp out! Good times!! 

Well this week other then the heat we are getting so excited for E. Baptism! He is so ready and and so excited! We had a lesson yesterday after church, he also came through the rain to church, we taught him about the last part of the plan of salvation. then we went through the baptism interview questions! He KILLED IT!!! We hadn't talked about Thomas S Monson but he loved the idea of a living prophet. We talked about the commandments and he readily accepted them and is really already living them! HE is doing amazing! I'm so excited for him and his decision to be baptized! I have to say I am humbled by his attitude, his willingness to so quickly accept the doctrines of the gospel. He asked us why other people don't want to get baptized and then was surprised that people have a hard time accepting the word of wisdom and tithing. He said "they are from God, he gives us everything!". That is exactly right they are from God, why don't we just accept them and move on and live them and learn to love them. He is awesome! He is so excited he has had us starting to get our pamphlets in Serbian because he wants to share it with his friends. Then yesterday he said "I need some Albanian and Greek Books of Mormon to share with my friends".It is so COOL!!! Also on Sunday a part member family that we inherited from the other elders had their baby blessed in sacrament meeting and then the wife that we are teaching got up and bore her testimony!! They are awesome!! They actually grilled for us last week and made pizza, they are so cool!

Yesterday I fasted to know how to help our investigators. Yesterday after doing some training with Elder Butler it hit me. We need to challenge another one of our investigators to be baptized on the same day as E. She is more then ready and is the same woman that had her child blessed by her husband. We know that she knows it is true. We just need to get the courage to ask her, but I feel that is what the Lord wants. As I got down on my knees to close my fast, I was thinking and then it came to me. "That idea was from the spirit, you had been praying about her but you has just forgotten about specifically praying for her!" It just all made since! We are excited but nervous, but hey that's the name of the game! 

The work is really picking up!! It is crazy how time flies. Unfortunately we didn't get to meet with R. this week! But we ran in to her on our bikes and invited her to church. She is making progress step by step and it's moving forward, We met with Frau A., we are kind of losing hope in her because she is so stubborn and when we met I was getting ready to say we can't meet anymore. As we were sitting there. She said "I still think my baptism was correct when I was baptized as a baby". Then in my head I thought "we have talked about this a thousand times" then it came to me "Bruder U. has told us a story about how he explained baptism". How that we are baptized to be washed from sin, why do we need to baptized as a baby, we have no sin! I told her the same thing and it was like a light bulb went off in her head!! It was so cool how the spirit brings things to our remeberance! 

The work is truly moving forward here in Hamm the Lord is blessing his vineyard. we just need to be ready to move and act and follow his plan. I gave a District Training Meeting this week and talked about the work and goals. I talked about how we say "this work we do as missionaries is tough" I talked about how that was right, but it is hard when we think that it is OUR work. When we think it's our work we are relying on our own talents and potential that we see. But when we realize that it is HIS work then we begin to see that he makes our burdens easy and our trials light. It isn't our work it is his work. He is the name we wear on our name badge and the name that we bless peoples lives through it is because of him we are here today and there is no other name that we may  be saved!! 

Love you tons 

Elder White

Talking on a Cell Phone inside a TelePhone Booth...